Clovers

[jimmy]

Anyone live in the south that has used La.S-1 white clover for bees. I ordered white dutch ,from a northern state last year and would like some more but shipping cost have limited my ordering , anything
The LA.S-1 is available locally but, I am not sure if it as good as the old type white dutch, for nectar.
BTW: The clover honey is crystal clear.

[bailey]

too bad you cant get the white clover that grows wild in the coastal area.
we have a great white clover that blooms in the spring that is great. our hay pastures are white every year in this area in spring.

dont know of a seed source, sorry

Bailey

[ArmucheeBee]

bailey

we just had a thread on clovers in the south a week ago here.  UGA developed Durana clover for our soil and climate.  Have you heard of that?  I don't know how it is for bees.  I'm going to plant 1/4 acre next month to find out.  I may mix it some crimson too.  Our local hardware store carries both for deer plots.

[jimmy]

I have been informed that the large red crimson clovers are not for bee's.
This is because the bee's can't reach the nectar with their tongue. Before you plant red crimson need to check with local bee assoation.

 :)

[JP]

I'm pretty sure Durana is what we planted at our place in Ms, its drought resistant.

Jimmy I would also plant some sweet yellow as well, it sure makes a fine tasting honey!


...JP

[ArmucheeBee]

I can't keep it straight.  Crimson is bad and red is good, is that right?

[jimmy]

Armucheebee: I don't pretend to be smarter than a second grade teacher.:)I have a friend who works at the Bee research lab in Baton Rouge ,La.He has a masters in biology so I know I am not smarter than him.:) He passed on to me last year that the RED CRIMSON clover, that is an annual plant here in La. Is much too large for the bees to get the nectar. I usually talk with him via Ham radio ,however I suspect this has been a very busy year for him .
They are trying to perfect the Russian strain of bee's in Louisiana.

[ArmucheeBee]

You have to be smarter than a second grader to get this clover mess.  I did a search here on the forums and found the old thread.  http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,12438.0.html    It was in Organic.  They say RED is bad, and Crimson is good.  But I think there are some common name problems here.  That is what is confusing me.  I plan to buy only white now and sweet yellow (not a true clover) if I can find it.  Alfalfa too.

[heaflaw]

In NC, farmers plant Red Clover and Crimson Clover.  Crimson Clover bloom is bright red and conical.  Red Clover bloom is purplish, round and larger than Red Clover.  Crimson Clover is an annual and Red Clover is a biannual.  NC Dept of Agr lists Crimson Clover as a forage for bees but not Red Clover.  I've read somewhere that only bumblebees can pollinate Red Clover.

[Ross]

Bees work crimson just fine.  It is not the same as RED clover.  Crimson is an annual, reseeds, but doesn't have a lot of hard seed, so it doesn't reseed heavily.  It burns out here early in April.  I don't see much white here, but I do see arrow leaf and ball clovers.  We also have white and yellow tall sweet clovers, but not like the northern plains.  Many clovers only work on acid or alkiline soils, so you need to check.

[Card]

Speaking of clover in North Carolina, I was reading something the other day that said one of the reasons why commerical beekeeping is largely infeasible in the Piedmont region is because of the clover. Apparently, there isn't enough naturally-occurring lime in the soil, so the clover will grow but it doesn't produce enough nectar to support bees.

It was a pretty old article, though. Does anybody know if that info is still correct, or if there's a species of clover that produces nectar here?

[heaflaw]

I do know that clover requires a lot of lime.  But I don't know how that reflects nectar flow.  I lime pastures about every 5 years and I notice more clover afterward for 2 years and then it begins to die out. 

[heaflaw]

In the Natural and Organic section there is a good thread about Red and Crimson Clovers.

[Nelly]

Okay, Master Gardener stepping up to the plate... I don't pretend to be smart, but I have good looks...I mean, books!!

Anyhoo, I was just reading about Arrowleaf Clover (Trifolium Vesiculosum).  Latin names can eliminate alot of confusion when talking to a seed supplier.

Arrowleaf is good for growing in the south, including NC.  It is a winter annual and has a long blooming season, 6-8 weeks longer than crimson clover (Trifolium Incarnatum L.)   Arrowleaf can grow in sandy or clay soils.  Its flower is white, which then turns pink and then purple.  I think this one sounds promising to me and I think it is the one I'll invest in for my bees.

There is a seed supplier for clover on the internet.  They have great descriptions and pictures of all the kinds of clover-- that's where I picked up all the fancy Latin names.  If you google "clover types" and click on ampac seed co. you'll find alot of good info.  And the pictures help alleviate any doubt about which clover you are thinking of.  Common names can be very frustrating. 

Nelly

[Damonh]

I have been planting alsike clover and it seams to work just fine.

[jimmy]

Thanks Nelly. You know I stayed at a Holiday Inn once. It didn't help me any!:)
I'll check it out .Shipping charges are making me buy as much as I can at local stores.